Everyday Ethics

June 2009 Archives

It’s hard for someone like me, with no legal background, to understand the intricacies of yesterday’s Supreme Court decision about the New Haven, Conn. firefighters’ discrimination (or so-called ‘reverse discrimination’) lawsuit. Obviously, there’s more going on here than just […]

I just watched a “The More You Know” PSA with John Krasinski (aka Jim from The Office) spreading the message that while hate is passed on through generations, its effect can be diluted by showing respect. This in turn reminded […]

So I have this great doctor. He cured my migraines (well, made them a lot better) when no one else could. My mom, who’s suffered similar headaches for decades, swears by him. And he’s a really nice guy. He’s charming, […]

Come on… you know you’ve told one or two Michael Jackson jokes over the years. The self-proclaimed “King of Pop” has been such a startling public figure–with his bizarre plastic surgeries, his wild and wacky but undeniably trend-setting outfits, his […]

I don’t love dogs. Don’t get me wrong–I like ‘em fine. I may even coo over a particularly cute one (or a homely one–somehow the homely ones touch my heart more than the handsome ones), but I don’t have a […]

How much information are you willing to disclose to snag a job? Most companies already insist on background checks, but Bozeman, MT, is asking applicants for city positions to submit their social networking usernames and passwords. Guess I won’t be […]

Regrets, I’ve had a few. But perhaps none so visible as those of Belgian teenager Kimberley Vlaminck, who claimed last week to have ‘fallen asleep’ in the tattooist’s chair and woken up with 56 stars tattooed across her face when […]

UPDATE: Interesting NY Times article asking some of the same questions as my original post about Steve Jobs’ liver transplant. Check the NY Times piece out! Because of this article, and because of the many comments I received on my own, […]

And here we see the financial implications of ethics — Sarah Palin says that she is more than $500,000 in debt due to “frivolous” ethics complaints brought against her by her fellow Alaskans. No doubt some of these charges are […]

A few years ago, my father passed away, and since then I’ve tended to keep my distance from the Father’s Day blitz each summer – too many bittersweet, confused feelings. Today, however, due to work, I read President Obama’s thoughts […]

I was out of town for a couple of days, and apparently while I was away, Iran went (more) insane, and North Korea decided Hawaii might make a nice Fourth of July nuclear missile target. Greeeaat. Maybe I should have stayed […]

I know, I know–we talk a lot about Facebook on this blog. I suppose that’s because Facebook and other sites like it have become the engines of social interaction and social networking for our generation. And, out of everyday social […]

We’ve all probably sent an email from our work account to the wrong person – I once worked at a large law firm where a first year associate sent out a raucous party invite to the entire firm, including all […]

I wish I could blog about the weather here in New York lately. I must say, I believe continuous rain for two weeks in June to be completely unethical! However, I’m distracted from the slow drip by other concerns. I’m […]

Here’s my quandary. It’s been a long day. I’m tired and grumpy. My husband, who usually brings the mail upstairs, is home sick so I’m the one swinging by our building’s mailboxes on the way back from work. This in […]

Guess what? After my post on my failure as a recycler, I actually began to do much, much better at recycling. I now manage to remember semi-regularly to bring a ‘green’ bag with me when I shop. And, after I […]

Yay! Sarah Palin is back, and just in time. Things were starting to get boring around here. I’m not ashamed to admit I was one of the few people sad to see the end of Palinisms. This time it’s Palin […]

No dilemmas today, just a shout-out to the second annual World Science Festival, being held this weekend here in New York. My hubby is SO excited. He loves anything connected to the world of ideas. And as a former philosophy […]

And does the intent matter? I’m settling in to do some writing at my local coffee joint, getting all prepared to talk…you know…ethics ‘n’ stuff. I make sure I buy enough (a black & white cookie and a large decaf latte) […]

My neighbor has OCD–a fact I just recently learned. For the longest time I believed she simply hated me, or that she thought I was a psycho, and here’s why: she wouldn’t get on the elevator with me. We’d wait […]

I received quite a few comments on my recent breakup post, but one really stuck with me. A friend of mine had recently gone through a breakup herself, and the story behind it was so horrible my immediate response was, […]

When I say this happened to a friend and not me, I really actually mean it. My friend had a dinner party at her summer place with some old friends–two couples, plus herself and her own boyfriend. Drinks went around […]

I haven’t blogged about the David Carradine story up ’til now, because, well, I thought it was somewhat unethical to dredge the actor’s death into the public spotlight more than it already was (if that were possible). I’m of the […]

I’m pleased to announce that Part II of our Underground Ethics “Subway Series” comes to you from our very first guest blogger: Beliefnet’s own Entertainment Editor, Dena Ross. I asked Dena to write a post for us because, well, Dena has […]

So, the hot news these days is that Leann Rimes is allegedly stalking Eddie Cibrian after their alleged affair. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not the person to ask about “hot” celebrity news. It’s possible I was […]

Mike Judge’s newest animated sit-com, The Goode Family, which premiered last week on ABC, is all about the eponymous Goode family, do-gooders who are always trying to do the ‘right’ thing and be responsible. Their PC intentions lead to ridiculous scenarios […]

Word is spreading that reclusive author JD Salinger, author of the seminal book “The Catcher in the Rye,” filed suit in U.S. Federal Court in Manhattan yesterday over an anonymous author’s unauthorized so-called ‘sequel.’ The writer, going by the name […]

Hillary and I promise this will be the last dating post for…well, at least a little bit. I recently went through a breakup. It was tough, especially after almost a year of this person being in my life. Blogging, however, […]

Paddy’s recent post about how to date honestly (or too honestly) got me thinking about relationships, intentions, and the perils of long-term commitment, particularly when cultural, religious, and social mores collide. Her post asks us whether ’tis better to be […]

Welcome to Part I of our exciting new series, Underground Ethics. As the name implies, we’ll be talking about things that take place far below the day-lit realm, things dark and ugly, seamy and salacious, perhaps unholy. Yes, that’s right. […]

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Coding Ethics...Internet activist and New York Times bestselling author of The Filter Bubble: What the Internet Is Hiding from You, Eli Pariser is concerned that information gatekeepers of the past (i.e. editors/reporters) have been replaced by algorithms that individually tailor information based upon a host of v

Can Ethical Companies Do Business With Unethical Leaders?Coca-cola has been accused of "propping up a notorious Swaziland dictator" whose human rights abuses and bilking of the national wealth has long been criticized by human rights activists. According to Guardian UK reporter David Smith**, Swaziland's King Mswati III is Africa's last absolute monarch w

New Years Resolutions: Are We Lying to Ourselves?I know it's become popular, but I've become suspect of using traditional goal-setting strategies and business process techniques to change personal habits and pursue a meaningful life. While I can admit that there's something invigorating--even exciting--about casting a new vision, writing that list

Is Craigslist Who We Really Are?Raise your hand if you're familiar with Craigslist.org. Chances are, there's one that serves your community. And it's extremely handy for job listings, housing, dating, selling your old crap or buying new old crap.Really, it's ingenious. But why's it also so darn discouraging? &nbsp

Everyday Ethics is a place to discuss how we live a good life and finish well in a technology-driven, culturally-diverse, rapidly changing 21st century environment where “good” and “well” are considered by many to be relative concepts.